Inactivated tetanus as an immunological smokescreen: A major step towards harnessing tetanus-based therapeutics.

Background And Purpose: Tetanus neurotoxin has many potential therapeutic applications, due to its ability to increase localised muscle tone when injected directly into a muscle. It is a closely related molecule to botulinum neurotoxin (most commonly known as Botox), which has been widely used to release muscle tension for therapeutic and cosmetic applications. However, tetanus toxin has been relegated to the "maybe pile" for protein therapeutics - as most of the population is vaccinated, leading to highly effective antibody-mediated protection against the toxin.

Antibiotic use in food animals worldwide, with a focus on Africa: Pluses and minuses.

Antibiotics are frequently used in food animal production in developing countries to promote the well-being and growth of animals. This practice provides some economic benefits to producers and consumers at large. Nevertheless, this practice is also associated with a number of concerns.

Induction of crossover by introduction of aro554:Tn10 into Salmonella chromosome.

One of the ancient methods for the generation of bacterial mutants was to insert the composite transposable elements (e.g. Tn10) flanked by desired gene sequences, into the bacterial chromosome.

Ferrets exclusively synthesize Neu5Ac and express naturally humanized influenza A virus receptors.

Mammals express the sialic acids N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) on cell surfaces, where they act as receptors for pathogens, including influenza A virus (IAV). Neu5Gc is synthesized from Neu5Ac by the enzyme cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH). In humans, this enzyme is inactive and only Neu5Ac is produced.

Pre-existing immunity against vaccine vectors--friend or foe?

Over the last century, the successful attenuation of multiple bacterial and viral pathogens has led to an effective, robust and safe form of vaccination. Recently, these vaccines have been evaluated as delivery vectors for heterologous antigens, as a means of simultaneous vaccination against two pathogens. The general consensus from published studies is that these vaccine vectors have the potential to be both safe and efficacious.

Investigation of cytotoxicity of negative control peptides versus bioactive peptides on skin cancer and normal cells: a comparative study.

Background: Resonant recognition model-myxoma virus (RRM-MV), a bioactive peptide analogue for myxoma virus MV-T5 protein, was computationally designed by the RRM. In this study, the anticancer effects of RRM-MV were assessed in vitro against four negative control peptides on human skin cancer and normal cells.

Results & Discussion: The effects of RRM-MV versus negative control peptides on cells were evaluated by quantitative and qualitative assays.

A bioactive peptide analogue for myxoma virus protein with a targeted cytotoxicity for human skin cancer in vitro.

Background: Cancer is an international health problem, and the search for effective treatments is still in progress. Peptide therapy is focused on the development of short peptides with strong tumoricidal activity and low toxicity. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a myxoma virus peptide analogue (RRM-MV) as a candidate for skin cancer therapy.

The role of WlaRG, WlaTB and WlaTC in lipooligosaccharide synthesis by Campylobacter jejuni strain 81116.

Campylobacter jejuni is a major bacterial cause of gastroenteritis world-wide. C. jejuni produces a range of glycans including lipooligosaccharide (LOS), an important virulence factor.

The antibiotic resistance characteristics of non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica isolated from food-producing animals, retail meat and humans in South East Asia.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem. It is most prevalent in developing countries where infectious diseases remain common, the use of antibiotics in humans and animals is widespread, and the replacement of older antibiotics with new generation antibiotics is not easy due to the high cost. Information on antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genotypes of Salmonella spp.

Biological effects of a de novo designed myxoma virus peptide analogue: evaluation of cytotoxicity on tumor cells.

Background: The Resonant Recognition Model (RRM) is a physico-mathematical model that interprets protein sequence linear information using digital signal processing methods. In this study the RRM concept was employed for structure-function analysis of myxoma virus (MV) proteins and the design of a short bioactive therapeutic peptide with MV-like antitumor/cytotoxic activity.

Methodology/principal Findings: The analogue RRM-MV was designed by RRM as a linear 18 aa 2.

Genus-wide physicochemical evidence of extracellular crystalline silver nanoparticles biosynthesis by Morganella spp.

This study was performed to determine whether extracellular silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) production is a genus-wide phenotype associated with all the members of genus Morganella, or only Morganella morganii RP-42 isolate is able to synthesize extracellular Ag nanoparticles. To undertake this study, all the available Morganella isolates were exposed to Ag+ ions, and the obtained nanoproducts were thoroughly analyzed using physico-chemical characterization tools such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It was identified that extracellular biosynthesis of crystalline silver nanoparticles is a unique biochemical character of all the members of genus Morganella, which was found independent of environmental changes.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Sofia, an avirulent species in Australian poultry.

Salmonella enterica serovar Sofia (S. Sofia) is often isolated from chickens in Australia. However, despite its high frequency of isolation from chicken and chicken meat products, S.

Self-assembled enzyme capsules in ionic liquid [BMIM][BF4] as templating nanoreactors for hollow silica nanocontainers.

Most of the self-assembly studies have hitherto explored the aqueous media as fluid phase for self-assembly of amphiphilic biomacromolecules, wherein architectural modification of biomolecules is generally a prerequisite for self-assembly of modified biomolecules. We demonstrate for the first time that ionic liquids can act as nonaqueous designer solvents to self-assemble amphiphilic biomacromolecules without requiring their prior modification. To this end, we show that enzyme (phytase) molecules self-assembled in the presence of an appropriate ionic liquid, resulting in the formation of enzyme capsules.

Influence of promoter, gene copy number, and preexisting immunity on humoral and cellular responses to a vectored antigen delivered by a Salmonella enterica vaccine.

Attenuated Salmonella strains are currently in production as vaccines for protection of animals against salmonellosis. Such commercial strains offer the potential to deliver heterologous antigen to protect animals against other diseases. One vaccine strain, attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (STM-1), was tested for the ability to deliver ovalbumin and to induce immune responses in mice.

Characterization of Campylobacter concisus hemolysins.

Campylobacter concisus is an opportunistic pathogen commonly found in the human oral cavity. It has also been isolated from clinical sources including gastroenteritis cases. Both secreted and cell-associated hemolytic activities were detected in C.

Safety of raw meat and shellfish in Vietnam: an analysis of Escherichia coli isolations for antibiotic resistance and virulence genes.

This study was conducted to examine a current baseline profile of antimicrobial resistance and virulence of Escherichia coli isolated from foods commonly sold in the market place in Vietnam. E. coli were isolated from 180 samples of raw meat, poultry and shellfish and also isolated from 43 chicken faeces samples.

An evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective responses to Brachyspira hyodysenteriae recombinant SmpB vaccination.

SmpB is an outer membrane protein of Brachyspira hyodysentariae that is present in some strains of the bacterium. It shares the same locus as SmpA, but all strains tested to date contain either one protein or the other, never both. In this study we have evaluated the efficacy of vaccination with SmpB to elicit immune responses in mice and to protect against a subsequent challenge.

Antibiotic resistance in food-borne bacterial contaminants in Vietnam.

This study was conducted to examine the rate of contamination and the molecular characteristics of enteric bacteria isolated from a selection of food sources in Vietnam. One hundred eighty raw food samples were tested; 60.8% of meat samples and 18.

Detection of Salmonella spp. in retail raw food samples from Vietnam and characterization of their antibiotic resistance.

A study was conducted to examine the levels of Salmonella spp. contamination in raw food samples, including chicken, beef, pork, and shellfish, from Vietnam and to determine their antibiotic resistance characteristics. A total of 180 samples were collected and examined for the presence of Salmonella spp.

Application of a pathogenicity marker found in Escherichia coli for the assessment of irrigation water quality.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method was developed to differentiate between pathogenic and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli). A pathogenicity marker, linked to the deletion of the ygfB gene, was identified in 80% of the clinical E.

Molecular mimicry in Campylobacter jejuni: role of the lipo-oligosaccharide core oligosaccharide in inducing anti-ganglioside antibodies.

Campylobacter jejuni is recognized as the most common identifiable pathogen associated with the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute autoimmune-mediated disease affecting the peripheral nervous system. The immune response to ganglioside-like structures in lipo-oligosaccharides (LOSs) of certain C. jejuni strains is thought to cross-react with human nerve gangliosides and induce GBS.

Knockout mutagenesis of the kpsE gene of Campylobacter jejuni 81116 and its involvement in bacterium-host interactions.

Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of bacterial enteritis. The surface capsular polysaccharides are important for this bacterium to survive in the environment, but little is known about their involvement in bacterium-host interactions. This study showed that the C.

Isolation of a gene that is involved in Campylobacter jejuni 81116 cytotoxin activation.

Cytotoxin fractions were isolated from Campylobacter jejuni 81116 and semi-purified by size-exclusion liquid chromatography. The fraction showing the strongest toxicity was injected into mice to produce antiserum. The antiserum was used to screen a C.

Phospholipase A in Gram-negative bacteria and its role in pathogenesis.

Phospholipase A (PLA) is one of the few enzymes present in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, and is likely to be involved in the membrane disruption processes that occur during host cell invasion. Both secreted and membrane-bound phospholipase A(2) activities have been described in bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Recently there have been increasing reports on the involvement of PLA in bacterial invasion and pathogenesis.